Vehicle Pursuit In Sulphur Springs Ends With Controlled Substance, Warrant Arrest
A vehicle pursuit in Sulphur Springs concluded with a wanted man being arrested on controlled substance, evading arrest and two warrants. A traffic stop also resulted in another Sulphur Springs man’s arrest on a Delta County evading arrest charge, according to arrest reports.
Vehicle Pursuit
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Wilkerson attempted to stop a westbound silver Hyundai Elantra just before 5 p.m. Friday, March 12, after seeing the wanted man driving fail to stop at more than one designated stopping point on Gilmer Street. Instead of stopping, however, the driver reportedly traveled through parking lots on the north side of Tapp Funeral Home and exited onto Oak Avenue at a high rate of speed, Wilkerson alleged in arrest reports.
When the car continued, ignoring the emergency lights on Wilkerson’s patrol vehicle, the deputy turned on the patrol unit’s siren and continued past the stop sign on Oak Avenue at College Street. Wilkerson reported pursuing the car as it turned onto College Street, then Jackson Street. The pursuit continued onto Jefferson Street at a high rate of speed, then Alabama Street and Jennings Street, back onto Jefferson Street and back to College Street. The motorist turned onto Mitchell, then back toward Jefferson Street, Wilkerson wrote in arrest reports.
The fleeing car on Jefferson Street until reaching apartments in the 600 block of Jefferson Street, where it entered a parking lot and continue to the back of the parking lot before stopping. Wilkerson approached and the 19-year-old driver surrendered and was taken into custody. Additional units from Texas Department of Public Safety, Sulphur Springs Police Department and HCSO arrived on scene at that point, according to arrest reports.
HCSO Sgt. Scott Davis and Deputy Chris Baumann assisted in completing a vehicle search. A pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke marijuana, a small amount of what the teen, identified in arrest reports at Aaron Kristopher Huddleston, stated was marijuana and a vape pen containing as mall amount of yellow wax-like liquid he said was THC oil, Wilkerson alleged in arrest reports.
After Wilkerson and Deputy Kevin Lester complete their search of the car, it was released to a towing service for impound. Wilkerson transported Huddleston to jail, where the vape pen cartridge containing the suspected THC oil weighed 5.911 grams, the deputy noted in arrest reports.
Huddleston was booked into Hopkins County jail at 7:20 p.m. March 12, 2021, for evading arrest or detention with a vehicle and possession of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance, as well as warrants for bail jumping and failure to appear and bond forfeiture on a burglary of a habitation charge, according to arrest reports.
The 19-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail Monday morning, March 15, in lieu of $165,000 bond: $30,000 bond each on the evading arrest and controlled substance charges, a $5,000 bond on the bail jumping/FTA charge and a $100,000 bond on the burglary warrant, according to jail reports.
FM 275 Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Wilkerson stopped black Dodge 2500 pickup at 10:50 p.m. Saturday, March 13, on FM 275 south at County Road 1143 for a defective right head light.
Upon contact with the driver and passenger, Wilkerson alleged he detected an odor of burnt marijuana emitting from the truck. Wilkerson had both get out of the truck and asked HCSO communications operators to conduct a records check using the pair’s ID information while he conducted a probable cause search of the pickup. A small amount of drug paraphernalia was reportedly located. Dispatchers advised the passenger was wanted in Delta County on an evading arrest or detention with a vehicle charge.
Thus, Deputy Chris Baumann, who arrived to assist Wilkerson, took 33-year-old Curtis Oneal Adams of Sulphur Springs into custody and transported him to jail on the Delta County warrant. The driver was released in the vehicle without incident, the deputies alleged in arrest reports.
Adams was held in Hopkins County jail Monday morning, March 15, 2021, for Delta County, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Edits Emphasized at PJC-Sulphur Springs
English Instructor Dr. Ken Haley emphasizes a point to students Briceida Chavez and Gino Medina in his class at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center.
Social distancing is being practiced in all classrooms, like Dr. Haley’s lecture shown above.
Call PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Campus at 903-885-1232 for more information.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Six SSHS Students Qualify For National BPA Competition
Six members of the Sulphur Springs High School Business Professionals of America Chapter have qualified for the National BPA Competition in May.
The SSHS BPA students competed in the BPA State Leadership Conference the week of March 1-5 in virtual competitions. Six students scored either in the top five in individual category or top 10 in nonjudged events to qualify them to participate in the National BPA Competition, which will be May 5-9.
“Normally, these students would be traveling to Orlando, Florida. However, this year students will be competing virtually for National Competition. We are excited for these students and their accomplishments this year,” said Jenny Arledge, Director of College & Career Readiness/ Career & Technical Education Director for Sulphur Springs High School.
Stanley Alba qualified by earning top honors in advanced interview skills-associate competition. Jacob Semler earned top honors in intermediate word processing at state.
Emily Atkinson finished second in administrative support project-individual at state and is advancing to national competition.
Talley Brown placed fourth in interview skills while Jessica Snyder earned finished fifth in advanced spreadsheet applications and Jack Bain placed sixth in legal office procedures at the BPA State Leadership Conference.
Congratulations to these students and their sponsors on these achievements.
Dinner Bell Menu For March 17, 2021
Cross County Cowboy Church is the COMMUNITY PARTNER
It’s ST. PATRICK’S DAY So we are having an IRISH MENU!!!
MENU
Corned Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes, Carrots and Parsnips
Garden Salad
Irish Soda Bread
Green Sugared Cookies
CONTINUE TO KEEP DISTANCES; WASH HAND OFTEN; AND WEAR MASKS.
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
Dinner Bell remains a Grab and Go distribution system for meals. Meals may be secured by driving under the covered driveway on the Northeast Corner of The First United Methodist Church Campus after 11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.
Small Child Allegedly In Car During FM 1870 Drunk Driving Crash
A 21-year-old Cumby man arrested following a FM 1870 drunk driving crash reportedly lied to the trooper investigating the crash. The driver allegedly claimed there was no child in the car seat in the car during the crash, but was later reported to have called someone who removed the child from the crash site before officials arrived, a trooper alleged in arrest reports.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Warren Williamson reported responding in the early morning hours Sunday, March 14, on FM 1870 to a vehicle crash. Upon arrival, the trooper observed a Ford Mustang in the middle of the road with numerous open alcohol containers visible inside the car.
“At the scene, it was apparent there was a car seat in the rear seat. Based on the blood in the car it was readily apparent that someone had retrieved a child from the car seat but there was no child present at the scene,” Williamson wrote in arrest reports.
Cole William Peterson of Cumby reportedly identified himself to the trooper and admitted to being the driver of the red Mustang at the time of the crash. Williamson reported smelling a strong odor of an intoxicating beverage on 21-year-old Peterson’s breath while talking with him. Peterson admitted to consuming numerous alcoholic beverages prior to operating the car, but denied that a child was in the car at the time of the crash, Williamson alleged in arrest reports.
Peterson was unable to successfully complete standard field sobriety tests and demonstrated he did not have the normal use of his mental and physical faculties due to alcohol, Williamson noted in arrest reports. At that point, Peterson was place under arrest for driving while intoxicated and taken to jail. He blew 0.147 and 0.142 on breath tests, well over the 0.08 legal limit for blood-alcohol content, Williamson stated in arrest reports.
“I contacted the mother of the child who confirmed she had lied to deputies who responded to her residence to check the welfare of the child. The mother confirmed the female child,” Williamson alleged in arrest reports, “approximately 1.5 years of age, was with [Peterson], in the vehicle at the time of the crash and that he had called someone to take the child from the crash scene to the mother in Como. The mother also confirmed that the child had received minor injuries during the crash.”
Williamson alleged that Peterson, by not seeking medical attention for the child considering the severity of the crash and his actions, acted with criminal negligence for the child’s safety and wellbeing. Peterson’s actions were a “gross deviation from the standard of care that an ordinary person would exercise under all the circumstances,” Williamson wrote in arrest reports. The trooper alleged in arrest reports that Peterson “tampered with evidence by having the child removed from the scene and attempting to conceal that the child was involved in the crash.”
Peterson was subsequently charged with driving while intoxicated with a child passenger under the age of 15 years in the vehicle, abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair.
Peterson remained in Hopkins County jail Sunday evening March 14, 2021 on all three charges stemming from the alleged FM 1870 drunk driving crash. Bond was set at $30,000 on the tampering with evidence charge, and $10,000 each on the DWI with child passenger and child endangerment-criminal negligence charge, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
March 15-19 Meal A Day Menu
Although the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center remains closed due to COVID-19, volunteers continue to work five days a week preparing and delivering meals to shut-in elderly in the community. The March 15-19 Meal A Day Menu includes:
Monday – Hash Brown Beef Casserole, Corn, Green Beans
Tuesday – Chicken Spaghetti, Italian Vegetables, Garlic Toast
Wednesday – Rope Sausage, Sauerkraut, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread
Thursday – Chicken and Dumplings, Crackers, Toss Salad
Friday – Chili Cheese Dogs, Cole Slaw, Fritos
The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center is a place where Senior Citizens age 50 and over can have a good time with old friends and make some new ones. Meal-A-Day is just one service the center provides. The coffee pot is always on and a smile is on each face. The SCC has a full library with all different kinds of reading books that can be taken, read and returned. Take as many as you like and bring some of your books in to share with others. Click here to find more information for seniors citizens.
Lady Cats Softball Wins Over Longview
Lady Cats Softball Team Wins Pitchers Duel With Longview, 1-0 Friday Evening
It took a perfect storm of weirdness for the Lady Cats Softball Team to defeat Longview, 1-0 in a district game pitchers’ duel at Lady Cat Park Friday (March 12) evening. Lady Cat Crimson Bryant and the Lady Lobos Reagan Rios just about matched each other pitch for pitch. Here’s the way the Lady Cats scored the games only run in the bottom of the sixth. Nylah Lindley got on base when the Longview first baseman dropped a throw to first Lindley stole second. Bryant put down a bunt that was fielded by the Longview first baseman who turned to first to find no one there. When pitch runner Kinley Friddle stole second base, the Lady Cats had runners on third and second. With two outs, Rios threw a wild pitch that got away from the Lobos’ catcher. Lindley, coming in from third, just beat the throw to the plate. Bryant, who got the win went 7 innings, threw 95 pitches and gave up only 2 hits and no runs while striking out 15 and walking none. Rios went 6 innings allowing only 3 hits and no earned runs while striking out 14 and walking one. In order to put the ball in play, Lady Cats Coach David Carrillo stressed small ball and bunting. The Lady Cats’ three hits never got out of the infield. Besides Bryant’s hit, Addison DeSmet hit a slow roller to short that she easily beat out without a throw. Parris Pickett, probably bunting to sacrifice ended up beating the throw to first for a hit. The Lady Cats evened their district record to 1-1. They are 10-3 for the season. Longview slips to 1-2 in district play. The Lady Cats host Mount Pleasant at Lady Cat Park next Tuesday.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Wildcats Baseball Comes Up Short Against Atlanta
Wildcats Baseball Team Ends Up on the Short End of a 4-3 game to Atlanta in Hallsville Tournament Saturday
After falling behind 3-0 to Atlanta, the Wildcats Baseball Team tied the game with 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning only to see the Rabbits score a decisive fourth run in the top of the sixth in the Reich Builders Classic in Hallsville Saturday (March 13). The 4-3 loss gave the Wildcats two wins and two losses in the three-day tournament. Atlanta scored what turned out to be the winning run without the benefit of a hit. On the day, the Wildcats outhit the Rabbits, 7 to 6. In the Wildcats big fourth inning, Ty Stroud, Kaden Wallace and Hayden Hurst scored runs and Hurst, Aiken Owens and Dawson Carpenter had the RBI’s. Carpenter and Wallace had 2 hits in the game and Hurst hit a double. Owens, who took the loss, pitched the first 5 1/3 innings allowing 6 hits and 4 runs while striking out 2 and walking five. Matthew Mitchell and Hector Martinez each pitched 1/3 of an inning and Martinez got a strikeout. The Wildcats season record is now 4-10. The Wildcats, who are 1-0 in district play, resume district play Tuesday night at Mount Pleasant.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Saltillo Lions Basketball Players Named to All-Region Team
Saltillo Lions Basketball Players Boekhorst and Redburn Are Named to All-Region Team
Saltillo Lions Basketball Coach Casey Riddle announced late Friday (March 12) that Lions senior Chris Boekhorst and junior Andrew Redburn were named to the All-Region Basketball Team. The two players were big contributors to a strong Lions’ team that made it all the way to the Regional Quarterfinals. There the Lions came up short against #1 state ranked Slidell, 63-53 at Bells on February 27. The Lions ended up ranked #13 in the final Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Poll issued prior to the playoffs. The Lions had a 20-8 season record and a perfect 12-0 record in district play.
March 13 COVID-19 Update: 1 Fatality, 8 New Cases, 7 Recoveries, 148 Active Cases
COVID-19 numbers in Hopkins County are coming down overall as the number of residents receiving COVID-19 vaccinations increases, with more recoveries this month than new cases so far. Unfortunately, the number of COVID-19 fatalities continues to rise in Hopkins County too, according to Texas Department of State Health Services’ March 13 COVID-19 dashboards and reports.
Case Counts
The new confirmed cases reported so far this month is the fewest number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases reported during the first 13 days of the month since July, when 23 Hopkins County residents received lab-confirmed positive molecular COVID-19 results during that period and 89 the entire month. July was also the first month in which a Hopkins County resident was confirmed by death certificate to have died as a direct result of COVID-19.
Over the last three months the daily confirmed case count has been steadily decreasing. In December 2020 and January 2021, 138 Hopkins County residents had received lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test results as of the 13th of the month. While there were 240 confirmed COVID-19 cases Dec. 1-28 and a total of 290 on Dec. 31, that number was slightly less for Jan. 1-28, with 232 new confirmed cases, and was down to 247 by Jan. 31. In February, 93 county residents had received lab-confirmed positive COVID results by the 13th and 135 on the 28th. Of the 28 new confirmed molecular cases reported this month, 15 new cases were reported this week: three on Monday, four each on Tuesday and Saturday, one each on Wednesday and Thursday and two on Friday, according to the DSHS March 12 COVID-19 Case Counts dashboard and New Probable Cases over Time by County report.
Twenty additional probable cases have also been reported during the first 13 days of March, including four Saturday, two on Friday and one each on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. That’s down from 85 new probable cases reported for Hopkins County Feb. 1-13 and 80 new probable cases from Jan. 1-12. Texas Department of State Health Services did not begin reporting new probable cases daily until Dec. 11; a total of 963 probable cases had been documented since the state agency began requiring healthcare agencies to report positive COVID-19 antigen test results and cases in which a county resident has a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 without a more likely diagnosis. Thirteen new probable cases were reported on Dec. 11, and 40 from Dec. 7-11.
A total of 54 Hopkins County residents have recovered from COVID-19 this month, 45 of those this week – Four Sunday, two Monday, three Tuesday, 15 Wednesday, six Thursday, eight Friday and seven Saturday. That means recoveries outpace new cases, 55 to 48 so far this month.
Cumulatively, that’s 2,715 recoveries out of the 2,972 Hopkins County residents who’ve had COVID-19 since March 21, 2020 (the date local emergency management official began giving regular updates regarding COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County).
Unfortunately, there have also been three Hopkins County residents confirmed this month to have died from COVID-19, two on March 2 and one on March 6. So far, that’s one more COVID-19 fatality than during the first 13 days of February, which concluded with five COVID-19 deaths. In fact, the last time the monthly COVID-19 death total was a single digit was last August, when six Hopkins County residents died from novel coronavirus 2019. Cumulatively, that’s 107 Hopkins County residents who have been confirmed by death certificate to have died from COVID-19 in the last year.
That reduces the active COVID-19 cases count among Hopkins County residents from 172 last Saturday to 148 March 13. While not as low as the 129 active cases on Nov. 13, the 148 active cases is significantly less than the 267 active cases reported Dec. 13, the 239 active cases on Jan. 13, and 208 on Feb. 13.
Vaccine Data
As of 11:59 p.m. March 12, a total 4,137 people in Hopkins County had received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and were waiting to receive the second of either the Pfizer or Moderna shots, that’s 165 additional people getting their first dose of vaccine on Friday. Another 45 people in Hopkins County were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on Friday, increasing the total number of vaccinated Hopkins County residents who have been fully vaccinated, either with one of the new Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines or both doses of a Moderna or Pfizer 2-dose vaccine, to 2,614. That includes 447 people who received either a first dose of the Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine the week of this week, according to the DSHS March 13 COVID-19 Vaccine Data dashboard.
Hopkins County, after a week with no allocates of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, was allocated 500 first doses during Week 13 of distribution (March 8-14), 300 first doses of Moderna to the hospital and 200 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine (100 each to CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic and Brookshire’s Pharmacy); as well as 200 second doses of the vaccine. In fact, Hopkins County providers have been allocated first doses of the vaccine in only 8 of the first 13 weeks of distribution, and second doses in only six of those weeks.
For Week 14 of distribution, March 15-21, one provider in Hopkins County is among the 445 in 178 counties across the state allocated first doses of COVID-19 vaccines. CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs has been designated to receive another 300 doses of the Moderna vaccine this week to administer to eligible individuals, which starting March 15 (in addition to individuals who have certain health conditions, healthcare and emergency services workers, teachers and child care workers and adults 65 and up) has been expanded to include anyone age 50 or older who have yet to receive any COVID-19 vaccination — if they can get on a list and schedule an appointment to receive the shot.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit dshs.texas.gov/covidvaccine
Click the following links for information on
Weekly vaccine allocations, including the full list for the week of March 15
Vaccination hub providers with contact information
DSHS/TDEM map of vaccine providers
Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Wasted Report
Testing
A total 20 COVID-19 tests were conducted March 11 at the free testing site, increasing the total number of molecular tests performed at the site since it opened to 9,941.
Twenty-three molecular COVID-19 tests were performed in Hopkins County on Friday, increasing the total to 15,770 molecular COVID-19 tests conducted in Hopkins County, including all molecular tests performed not only at the free testing sites but also by healthcare providers in Hopkins County.
Four antigen tests and five antibody tests were also performed by Hopkins County healthcare providers on Friday, increasing the cumulative total reported to DSHS to 2,842 antigen tests and 1,842 antibody tests performed in Hopkins County since the state began tracking the data several months into the pandemic.
Overall, that’s 51 additional COVID-19 tests performed on Friday in Hopkins County, increasing the total number of all COVID-19 tests performed in Hopkins County and reported over the last year to DSHS to 20,473, according to the DSHS March 13 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboards.
Free COVID-19 testing will continue during the month of March at 128 Jefferson Street in Sulphur Springs. Online registration is required at GoGetTested.com to schedule an oral swab test inside the Red Cross (Old Fidelity Express building) across College Street from First Baptist Church.
